The Hadith (Inspired Sayings) of Mohammed

Inspiration and the Receiving of the Koran

Mohammed heard bells when getting inspiration -- Sahih Buhari-- Volume 4, Book 54, Number 438:

Narrated Aisha: Al Harith bin Hisham asked the Prophet, "How does the divine inspiration come to you?" He replied, "In all these ways: The Angel sometimes comes to me with a voice which resembles the sound of a ringing bell, and when this state abandons me, I remember what the Angel has said, and this type of Divine Inspiration is the hardest on me; and sometimes the Angel comes to me in the shape of a man and talks to me, and I understand and remember what he says."

Gabriel speaking in other tongues for Mohammed -- Volume 4, Book 54, Number 442:

Narrated Ibn Abbas: Allah's Apostle said, "Gabriel read the Qur'an to me in one way (i.e. dialect) and I continued asking him to read it in different ways till he read it in seven different ways."

Gabriel held a Koran scripture study during Ramadan -- Volume 4, Book 54, Number 443:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: Allah's Apostle was the most generous of all the people, and he used to be more generous in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel used to meet him. Gabriel used to meet him every night in Ramadan to study the Holy Quran carefully together. Allah's Apostle used to become more generous than the fast wind when he met Gabriel

Gabriel not the size of the biblical angels -- Volume 4, Book 54, Number 458:

Narrated Masruq: I asked Aisha "What about His Statement:-- "Then he (Gabriel) approached And came closer, And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer?" (53.8-9) She replied, "It was Gabriel who used to come to the Prophet in the figure of a man, but on that occasion, he came in his actual and real figure and (he was so huge) that he covered the whole horizon."

The Satanic Verses from the Koran with my note and Rodwell's:

Koran, Sura 53, verses 1-4, In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful,

By the Star when it setteth,

Your companion (Mohammed) (FOOTNOTE 21:   J.M. Rodwell, The Koran) erreth not, nor is he led astray,

Neither speaketh he from mere impulse.

The Koran is no other than a revelation revealed to him:

Today the claim is clear. Mohammed never made errors. But, look what follows in verse 19 of Sura 53. These are the "Satanic Verses" as they were originally given. The words that Mohammed claimed Satan put into his head during the revelation session are in caps:

Verse 19. Do ye see Al-Lat and Al-Ozza,

20. And Manat the third idol besides?

THESE ARE THE EXALTED FEMALES (elsewhere, SUBLIME SWANS),

MOUNTING NEARER AND NEARER TO ALLAH (FOOTNOTE 20:  A. Yusuf Ali in his version of The Koran, note 5086)

AND TRULY THEIR INTERCESSION MAY BE EXPECTED,

21. What? Shall we have male progeny and Allah female?

22. This were indeed an unfair partition!

23. These are mere names: ye and your fathers named them thus:

Allah hath not sent down any warranty in their regard.

A mere conceit and their own impulses do they follow.

Yet have they "guidance" from their Lord come to them.

Mohammed, who was alleged to be unable to err in vs 1-4, added these verses when the revelation was first given. In the early days of Islam his hold on the ruling Kouraish tribe of Mecca was not certain, and he added this intercession option (the Satanic verses in large caps above) so that they could still honor their three favorite local goddesses. It worked well, and the Kouraish agreed to follow Mohammed. Later, after Mohammed had consolidated his grip on Mecca, he edited out the two accommodating verses and added the sarcastic blast just after them. (FOOTNOTE 21:  J.M. Rodwell, The Koran)